Seriama's Story
by Lord Kristine
Summary: A spinoff of The Silliest Jurassic Park FanFiction Ever Written, featuring everyone's favorite barymimus.
1. Seriama's Mission

Being a barymimus was difficult, Seriama thought. Of course, she had no frame of reference, but she had been told that not everyone had to suffer through what she had put up with over the course of approximately thirty years. She had been bullied by her peers, teased by strangers, and worst of all, electrocuted by a man who was supposed to be her friend. Even now, years after her escape from the paddock, she couldn't shake the unpleasant memory. She didn't want to be one of those dinosaurs who lost faith in all that was good, just because she had been unlucky enough to be hatched into an unforgiving world. Deep in her heart, Seriama had a simple mantra that echoed through her mind in troubled times.  
"There are good people out there, and you can find them."  
Of course, she had been proven wrong on several occasions, but she knew that Isla Sorna wasn't exactly a welcoming environment.  
As if to prove her point, three baryonyx appeared from the opposite end of her field, cackling cruelly. Seriama stood her ground, even when they began to circle her.  
'Seriama, Seriama . . . You're on our turf . . .'  
Seriama smiled to conceal her unease.  
'Actually, this is my field. I've had it for ten years. I'm sure you've made a mistake, but that's alright . . .'  
One of the baryonyx bumped her side brutally.  
'It's a nice field. We like nice things.'  
Seriama bit her lip.  
'I . . . I've lived here for a long time. I don't want to give it up. Maybe we could share-'  
One of the baryonyx nipped at her heel. Seriama shrieked and lifted her foot.  
'We don't share. We take.'  
Seriama's lip quivered.  
'Please . . . This is my home.'  
She felt a twinge of anger as one of the baryonyx began to roll around in her favorite patch of sweetgrass.  
'It's our home now. Beat it.'  
Seriama stared at them, her mouth agape.  
'I have nowhere to go!'  
'That's not our problem.'  
Seriama stood a little taller.  
'Look, I know you want my field, but I think if you look inside your heart, you'll find that you can't take-'  
'Three against one, Seriama. Are you willing to take us on?'  
Seriama felt her breath growing shaky. The baryonyx stalked towards her.  
'What'll it be?'  
After a moment, Seriama bit her lip and turned to leave. She tried to ignore the baryonyx as they laughed at her. Although she was torn up about the loss of her home, she could always find a new one. This might even be a good opportunity to venture out and find something new and exciting. Maybe she could go on an expedition. Yes, that would be fun.  
Seriama held her head high and trotted through the jungle. She was so thrilled with her exploration that she didn't notice a peculiar scent coming from where she was headed. For this reason, she was shocked to see a large dinosaur standing by a slow-moving stream.  
From the very second she laid eyes on him, Seriama knew that she had fallen hopelessly in love.  
The dinosaur was large, bulky, and covered in scales. He was supremely attractive. He was tall, taller than Seriama even, and he was roughly her shape, too. He wasn't a barymimus, but he was at least somewhat related to her species. He had the same claws that Seriama had, and his snout was wonderfully long. And his sail . . . Oh god, his sail . . . Seriama could hardly stand upright. Best of all, he had a tail. A big, long, glorious tail that could entwine itself with hers . . . theoretically.  
Seriama leaned forward dazedly and lost her balance. Her foot snapped a small twig, and the mysterious dinosaur lifted his head. Seriama camouflaged herself instinctively, concealing her shape in the nick of time. The dinosaur shook his head and went back to making faces at his reflection.  
Seriama watched him for a very long time. When he finally left, she made the impulsive decision to follow him. She wanted to get a closer look at this strange dinosaur, and maybe even get a reading on his demeanor. She had to be cautious, of course, since he was so large and intimidating, but at the same time, she had a good feeling that she was pursuing a dinosaur who would prove to be gentle, sweet, and undeniably kind.  
Maybe he was the good person she was looking for.

That night, Seriama crept through a field, camouflaged, to spy on the object of her attraction. The dinosaur was rolling every which way, trying to get comfortable in the tall, yellow grass. Seriama felt like inviting him back to her own field, until she remembered that it wasn't hers anymore. If she could find another patch of sweetgrass, however, there was no doubt that she'd give it to the new dinosaur in a heartbeat. If it was big enough, they could share it. Then they could be close together, just like now, only he'd know that she was there. He'd want her to be there. He'd want her.  
The dinosaur lifted his head. Seriama realized that she had been rippling with color, and promptly composed herself. She sometimes lost control of her camouflage when she got distracted, and she needed to be invisible, for the time being.  
She was only a few feet away from the dinosaur now, and he was looking around for something suspicious, which happened to be her. He turned his head and inadvertently made eye contact with her. Seriama could feel her heart melting. The dinosaur's eyes were dark and deep, and she nearly forgot that she wasn't meant to be sitting in front of him.  
Eventually, the dinosaur gave up his search and fell asleep. Seriama watched him quietly, taking care not to wake him up. She stared at this funny, sail-wearing dinosaur, and felt a glimmer of hope. He was so strange, unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and because of this, he must feel as alone as she did. She wanted him, and something in her heart told her that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that he'd want her too.  
Seriama reached out and gently touched his snout. The dinosaur shifted slightly, but didn't wake up.  
To be wanted, Seriama thought, was all a person could ask for in life. It was all well and good to own a field, roll around in sweetgrass, and hunt enough prey to stay alive, but simply having things was nothing compared to the idea of knowing that someone else might want to share them. Seriama was more than ready to share. Even now, without having said a single word to this dinosaur, she had planned out their entire life. She could see them swimming in the ocean, lying in the field, lapping up water from a shimmering lake . . . And it was perfect. He was perfect. If Seriama could have him, she wouldn't ask for anything else as long as she lived.  
Before she could accidentally drift off, Seriama stood up and went to prepare herself for their first encounter. If she wanted to impress this dinosaur, she'd have to be as perfect as he was. It wouldn't be easy, of course, to accomplish this, but she was a woman on a mission. Nothing could stand in her way.  
Somehow, some way, she was going to win the affection of this strange, new dinosaur.


	2. Seriama's Failure

Seriama spent the majority of the next few days getting ready for the big encounter. She swam in the ocean to clean herself off, let birds pick the meat out of her teeth, and even snuck back into her old field to roll around in the sweetgrass. When she was sure that she looked and smelled better than ever before, she found the strange dinosaur and pursued him for a while. He was pacing back and forth in a field, muttering to himself quietly. Seriama wasn't quite sure what to say, so she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head.  
'Hello.'  
The dinosaur jumped.  
'Where are you? Show yourself!'  
Seriama felt very stupid. She had spent so much time planning for this day, and now, she had forgotten to make herself visible like a complete idiot. Oh, well. There was no turning back now . . .  
'I'm here.'  
Seriama removed her camouflage. She tried to analyze the dinosaur's expression, but he wasn't reacting the way she thought he would. Whatever he was thinking about her, it probably wasn't positive.  
'I've been watching you . . .' Seriama said quietly.  
The dinosaur gulped.  
'What do you want?' he asked.  
Seriama's nose twitched.  
'I just wanted to talk to you, that's all . . .'  
'Okay . . .'  
Seriama tried to bat her eyelashes. The dinosaur didn't respond, so she decided to give him a compliment.  
'I like your sail.'  
'Thanks.'  
Seriama inched forward.  
'I've never seen anyone like YOU before.'  
'I'm a spinosaurus.'  
'I'm a barymimus.'  
The spinosaurus laughed. Seriama frowned.  
'Oh. You're serious,' he muttered. Seriama took a deep breath.  
'They couldn't find enough DNA to make a suchomimus, so they used a baryonyx template.'  
The spinosaurus was looking calmer now. Whatever she had said to please him, it was working. Now, she would have to ask the big question. She was ready. She was SO ready.  
'So . . . are you alone?'  
'Um . . . At the moment, yes . . .'  
Seriama felt her heart flutter.  
'What's your name?'  
'Henry.'  
Henry. What a beautiful name. Seriama decided that she liked it. She smiled and stepped forward.  
'I'm Seriama.'  
The spinosaurus smiled uneasily.  
'That's nice. I'd better go now. I have a . . . thing . . . to do.'  
Seriama blinked. She was surprised that he was leaving so soon, especially when she had gone to all of this effort to make their first encounter perfect. She didn't want to press him, however, so she stepped back and let him leave.  
'Okay. See you.'  
Seriama watched him leave, her heart aflutter. More than anything, she hoped that she would see him again.

The next time Seriama bumped into the spinosaurus, she was carrying a hypsilopterix in her mouth. Caught off guard, she greeted him without dropping her food.  
'Hewow.'  
'Hi . . .'  
She noticed that he seemed to be very hungry, so she held out her kill.  
'Do you want it?'  
He narrowed his eyes.  
'Sure.'  
Seriama watched him eat. He was very awkward, but maybe he was just shy. In any case, she would have to explain her intent, lest he not clue in.  
'We look like each other.'  
'Um . . . Not really. You don't have a sail.'  
Seriama felt her heart sink. Of course. A sail. That must be why he didn't feel comfortable around her. They were so different. And yet . . .  
'We have the same hands . . .'  
'Paws. I think they're called paws.'  
'We both have long snouts . . .'  
'Mhm.'  
'We're both tall . . .'  
'Are you just gonna list off our similarities all day?'  
Seriama felt her confidence fizzle out. She looked away and tried to think of a way to minimize the damage.  
'I . . . I don't know.'  
An awkward silence followed. Seriama could see that Henry's attention was waning. She would have to find a way to reignite his interest.  
'Well, I'd better get going-'  
'I like you.'  
'What? . . .'  
Seriama hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, but now that she had, she was ready to commit herself to the remark.  
'I like you. I think you're handsome.'  
'I . . . You . . . What?'  
Seriama rubbed up against his side. Her heart was warm with affection.  
'Uh, look. I'm not really into that kind of thing . . . I'm flattered, really, but I just don't think we should . . . uh . . .'  
Seriama frowned. Her stomach was starting to knot.  
'Why not? Don't you like me?'  
'Well, it's not that I don't LIKE you, but we've only just met, and-'  
'What if we got to know each other?'  
Henry was stepping backwards.  
'I don't think that's a good idea.'  
She was losing him.  
'Why not?'  
'Well, I mean, we're not the same species. It's kind of- um- weird.'  
Desperate, Seriama changed her color. She became like Henry, hoping that it was enough to push past his reluctance.  
'I know I don't have a sail or anything, but we're basically the same. I can be anything you want me to be, if you just give me a chance . . .'  
'Sorry, no. I'm not interested.'  
Seriama could feel her heart being torn out of her chest. Suddenly, she felt very foolish for ever thinking that she could end up with someone as wonderful as Henry. She wasn't a spinosaurus. She wasn't even purebred. No matter what, she would always be Seriama, the naïve barymimus who was wanted by no one.  
'Look, you're a perfectly nice dinosaur. I'm sure there's someone out there for you. It's just not me.'  
There wasn't anyone out there for her, though. She was all alone. But Henry was nice to say these things. Most dinosaurs would just tell her the truth: that she was ugly and stupid and pathetic, and she would never find someone who cared about her.  
'Well, goodbye. And . . . good luck.'  
Henry left. Seriama didn't move for a very long time. She didn't know what to do, now that he was gone. He was all she ever wanted, and now, she had nothing. She had no home, no lunch, no friends, and worst of all, she had no hope.  
As she lumbered away, Seriama tried to tell herself that her mantra was still valid. There must be good people out there, and she would most certainly find them. It was then that she realized something truly terrible. She HAD found a good person, but no matter how nice he was, he still didn't want her. She had spent her whole life praying for someone to like her, but even the best people would turn her down, if she met them. It wasn't their fault: she was just so unlikeable that it would be impossible to win the affection of anyone, much less someone like Henry.  
With this, Seriama made a promise that she would never burden anyone with her presence again. She'd keep to herself, and she would make sure that good people wouldn't have to be bothered by her silly dreams. She'd be doing something right, if she could make the world forget that she ever existed. It was better that way.  
Seriama managed to make it all the way across the field before she broke down and started to cry.


	3. Seriama's Success

Seriama didn't recover from her depression. She wandered through the jungle aimlessly, looking for nothing and expecting nothing to come her way. The baryonyx would show up every now and then to tease her, but she barely noticed their quips and insults. She was broken, and there was nothing on earth that could snap her out of her gloomy mood.  
Well, nothing except for Henry's scent.  
Seriama sniffed the air, puzzled by the potency of the spinosaurus' trail. It was incredibly condensed, and it made her swoon whenever she inhaled. Forgetting her promise to herself, Seriama followed the smell through the forest. It was clear that Henry had wanted someone to find him; his scent was clearly present on almost every large tree in the jungle.  
Seriama paused. She rubbed up against the scented trees, trying to mask the trail somewhat. She didn't want to be followed.  
Further evidence of Henry's situation came when Seriama got close enough to hear him. He was making a deep call, and there was no mistaking the particular tone he was going for. Even so, it was a funny sound: rather broken and unfinished, as though he wasn't conscious of what he was doing. Seriama pressed on, hoping that this wasn't the case.  
She found Henry in a small glade, lying on his side and groaning miserably. When she saw him, there was no shadow of a doubt that he was waiting for someone. Seriama felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that he'd be disappointed when he found out that it was her. Despite this, she decided to give it one last shot. Things couldn't get worse, after all, and besides: the wafting scent was more than enough to give her courage.  
'Hello.'  
Henry stood up in alarm and tried to cover his front.  
'I'm not feeling well.'  
'I noticed.'  
'I want to be left alone.'  
'That won't help.'  
'Go away. I don't want-'  
Before he could finish, she began to rub up against his side. To let him speak would be a death sentence, and she couldn't allow him to get away that easily. She walked slowly by his side in a long, drawn-out action. Seriama smiled when she realized that he seemed to be enjoying the gesture. She flicked her tail across his snout playfully. Without warning, he jumped back and snarled.  
'Stop! Go away! I don't want you here!'  
Seriama tilted her head.  
'I think you do . . .'  
'I . . . I want . . .'  
It didn't take long for Seriama to figure out that she'd won. Henry promptly grabbed her shoulders and climbed onto her back. She leaned forward and began to rock back and forth.  
It was a good night, of course, and there was no doubt that both parties enjoyed the act. Henry eventually fell asleep with his chin on her head and his tail entwined with hers, and although Seriama would have liked to know how he planned to proceed with their relationship, she didn't ruin the moment with her pesky questions. Instead, she simply enjoyed the fact that she was currently sleeping beside the most wonderful dinosaur on the island.  
Still, she had a few nagging suspicions. She would never bring it up, of course, but there was something troubling her about their union.

Henry had kept his eyes closed the whole time.

Aside from this, Seriama was content. After all, Henry was kind and handsome and sympathetic and . . .

. . . leaving. Henry was leaving! Seriama felt her world come crashing down as she watched him walk away. It had meant nothing to him. She meant nothing to him. He was leaving, and he didn't want her, and things were going horribly wrong.  
Seriama tossed her head in anguish. When she did, she saw a deer standing very still in the underbrush, its ears pricked in alarm. Quickly, she grabbed it by the neck and bit down hard. It went limp, and she ran after Henry. When she offered him the deer, he took it begrudgingly.  
'Fine.'  
Fine was good. Fine was fine. She could deal with fine.  
It was more than she could hope for, of course. No other dinosaur would think much of her, let alone agree to spend time with her, but Henry was willing to tolerate her presence in exchange for a continuous supply of food. It was understandable. It was excusable.  
And it was fine. Perfectly fine.


	4. Seriama's Suspicion

Seriama was infatuated with Henry. There were no words for what she felt or how much she cared about him. Every fraction of every moment of every day was devoted to him alone. Seriama's life ceased to be hers. Now, she lived for Henry.  
He was warming up to her, too. He seemed to genuinely enjoy her presence, which made her ecstatic. He was so kind, so caring . . .  
'I've forgotten your name.'  
. . . Well, no one was perfect.

Seriama's fight with the baryonyx left her weak. Henry was forced to hunt for both of them, and when Seriama was fully healed, she brought back more prey than usual to make up for her insufficiency. One day, when she dragged a dilophosaurolophus to their temporary abode, Henry lifted his head and sighed with bewilderment.  
'So, what's the deal with this baryonyx?'  
Seriama's heart leapt into her throat.  
'Why?'  
'Do you two know each other? Is she an old enemy?'  
Seriama exhaled with relief. She thought that Henry was interested in her rival. She should have known better.  
'The baryonyx don't like me very much. I'm different from them, you see, so we don't get along.'  
Henry blinked.  
'Why wouldn't they like you?'  
Seriama shrugged.  
'The usual reasons. I'm too tall, too gangly, too ugly . . .'  
Henry rubbed up against her side.  
'Do you really believe that?'  
'Yeah. Don't you?'  
Henry took a deep breath.  
'No, I don't. And I don't think it's fair that they treat you poorly.'  
Seriama sighed.  
'They're baryonyx. They don't like halfbreeds like me. They took my home-'  
'Your home?'  
'Yes, I used to have a field. There was this really nice patch of sweetgrass . . .'  
'We should take it back.'  
Seriama laughed. When she saw Henry's expression, her smile faltered.  
'Oh. You're serious.'  
Henry took her hand.  
'Come on. Show me where this field is, and we'll chase them away.'

As Seriama stepped out of the jungle, the three baryonyx sneered and prepared themselves for a fight. When Henry joined her, however, they paused, then hightailed it out of there. At first, Seriama was too shocked to say anything. She hadn't been expecting such an easy victory, but somehow, they had managed to win back her home with no effort, whatsoever. With a delighted squeal, she ran over to her patch of sweetgrass and rolled around on her back. Henry stood above her, smiling down warmly as she giggled with glee.  
'Thank you, Henry! Thank you, thank you, thank you!'  
He chuckled.  
'No problem. I like to see you happy.'  
After a moment, his smile wavered.  
'What's wrong?' Seriama asked.  
'I . . . I don't know. I was just thinking, you look really pretty right now. I might be attracted to you. Is that weird?'  
Seriama laughed.  
'Why would it be weird? . . .'  
She bit her lip.  
'Oh, right. Well, I guess a person can get used to ugliness . . .'  
'That's not- . . . Seriama, why do you think you're ugly?'  
She scratched her nose.  
'Well, I've always been told that I'm ugly.'  
'By the baryonyx? They don't know anything.'  
Seriama shook her head.  
'Not just the baryonyx. People, too. I could understand them, a little. They'd say mean things about me.'  
Henry frowned sadly.  
'Like what?'  
Seriama gulped.  
'Well, this one man used to call me his "Ugly Goose". I think he might have been joking, but it came from a real place.'  
Henry ran his hand down her snout.  
'If I ever met that man, I'd gut him alive.'  
'You're too late for that; the raptors already got him.'  
She sighed and rolled around some more.  
'That's all in the past, though. I never have to worry about him again.'  
'Good. I'm glad.'  
Seriama rolled onto her stomach and stood up.  
'Alright. Let's head over to this compound of yours . . .'  
Henry did a double-take.  
'What? Why? We just got your home back. It's our property . . .'  
'It didn't take much to win it back, and we can't stay here and visit the compound at the same time. We'll just have to let the baryonyx have it.'  
Henry's jaw dropped.  
'But why? You said you loved this place!'  
'I do,' Seriama replied, 'But I love you more.'  
Henry nodded slowly.  
'Well, alright. If you're sure, we can leave. I just can't stand the thought of losing something valuable to a group of inferior dinosaurs.'  
Seriama smiled.  
'We don't need it. We have each other. What good is the land, if we don't share it?'  
Henry sighed.  
'You have some really strange ideas, Seriama . . .'  
'You too, but I love you for it.'


	5. Seriama's Anguish

It was strange, Seriama thought, that a person could change their mind so quickly. Once Henry's true identity had been revealed, she thought it would be the end, but now, she didn't really care. He was still Henry, after all, and she adored him. There was no doubt now that they were in love, and their unity ascended beyond circumstance. As far as physical comfort went, they were doing very well for themselves. They had found a nice cave by an open meadow, and Seriama had even located a new patch of sweetgrass. It was heaven on earth, and it was perfect.  
Almost perfect.  
Henry tended to be a little commanding at times, and although Seriama knew it wasn't his fault, he had very little control over himself. When he wanted something, he expected to get it, and nothing stood in his way.  
'Seriama . . . Seriama . . . Seriama . . .'  
She tossed her head.  
'Not tonight, Henry. I'm too tired.'  
He ran his snout across her back.  
'Come on. It won't take long.'  
He bit the nape of her neck. Seriama winced.  
'Stop it, Henry. I don't like it when you bite . . .'  
He purred and rubbed against her a little too forcefully. She pulled away.  
'Stop, Henry.'  
He grabbed her shoulders. Before he could pull himself on top of her, Seriama pushed him away with her tail and growled.  
'No.'  
Henry snarled in fury. When he saw that she was adamant, he turned and left the cave. Seriama sat down and waited for him to return. He didn't. After a few minutes, Seriama lifted her head and looked around.  
'Henry? . . .' she whispered.  
No reply.  
'Henry? . . .'  
He was gone.  
Panicked, Seriama stood up and ran out the mouth of the cave. She followed Henry's scent through the forest. Once again, she found him lying on his side, panting heavily. She was about to get his attention, but she realized that they were not alone. Quickly, she made herself invisible.  
'Hello . . .'  
It was the baryonyx. She slithered towards Henry with a cunning sneer. Henry stood up.  
'You're on our territory.'  
The baryonyx laughed.  
'Yours and the halfbreed's? What do you see in her, anyway? Don't you know that you'd be better off with me?'  
Henry frowned.  
'I don't like you.'  
The baryonyx hissed.  
'What does it matter? You're tall and fearsome, and she's useless. You deserve someone who's an asset, not a hindrance. I'm more than willing to join you in taking whatever you want, and besides, I'll never say "no".'  
Seriama's heart sank when she saw Henry walking towards the baryonyx. Oddly, though, he hesitated. The baryonyx waited in front of him, her tail lifted. Henry sighed, then turned away.  
'I'm going home. Get off of our territory.'  
The baryonyx gasped.  
'WHAT?!'  
'You heard me. Leave. Never come back. I'm staying with Seriama.'  
The baryonyx growled.  
'You're a fool.'  
Henry exhaled.  
'Maybe. But I've made my choice.'  
Seriama felt her heart flutter as the baryonyx departed. She quickly ran through the forest and down a hill to reach the cave before Henry. When she arrived, she lay down and pretended that she had never left. Henry arrived soon after. He sat down beside her without a word.  
'Hi.'  
Henry's nose twitched.  
'Hi.'  
Seriama nuzzled his shoulder.  
'Are you okay?'  
'I don't feel well, but I'll get over it.'  
Seriama smiled.  
'Thank you.'  
Henry lowered his head and went to sleep.

'I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that we should find you some fruit,' Seriama declared.  
'Why?' Henry asked.  
'You're a human. Humans eat fruit, right?'  
'I'm physically a dinosaur. I don't need fruit.'  
'I know, but I thought you'd be happier in a more human environment,' she said as she gave him a kiss.  
'I don't need human things. You're a dinosaur, and I love you, so I love being a dinosaur.'  
Seriama smiled.  
'Don't you miss being a human?'  
'Absolutely, but there's nothing I can do. I'm stuck.'  
'With me?'  
Henry shook his head.  
'Not exactly.'  
Seriama rubbed up against his side.  
'If we could somehow change, would you want to?'  
'Yes, but that probably won't happen.'  
Seriama picked a sprig of yellow berries from a bush.  
'Do you want them?'  
Henry shook his head fiercely.  
'Those are poisonous, Seriama. The yellow berries are toxic enough to fell a sauropod.'  
Seriama tossed them away.  
'Sorry. I didn't know.'  
'It's fine.'  
Henry picked up a discarded carcass and placed it in front of her.  
'I'd much rather share something with you, anyway.'  
They tore into the meat. The sun was shining brightly, and it warmed their backs. Across the field, a group of hadrosaurs watched over their infants. Seriama observed the tiny dinosaurs from afar. She smiled as they played in the river. Henry twiddled his fingers.  
'Seriama-'  
He cut off abruptly when he heard voices coming from a nearby path. As they drew near, he narrowed his eyes.  
'I'm going to see who it is . . .'  
Seriama held him back.  
'Don't. It could be dangerous.'  
'It'll be fine. Stay here. I'll be back soon.'  
Seriama watched him leave with a worried expression. After a few minutes, she followed him into the forest.

'It's perfect, Seriama! We can go back with them and find the Tiger. We can have everything!'  
'Henry, no!' Seriama insisted, 'This is too dangerous. We can't leave our home. We have a life here. We're happy . . .'  
'We could be happier.'  
'Aren't you happy enough?'  
Henry frowned.  
'Seriama, we can't squander this opportunity. This is our chance to make something of ourselves. We can have everything. Everything!'  
'We don't need-'  
He placed his hand on her cheek.  
'Please, Seriama. You want me to be happy, don't you?'  
She held his gaze, trying to channel her reluctance through eye contact. If he noticed, he didn't care. Finally, she sighed with defeat.  
'Fine. We'll go. Only if it will make you happy . . .'  
'It will.'  
'I hope so. I'd do anything for you. You know that, right?'  
Henry nodded.  
'I know.'  
'I love-'  
'Let's go. There's no use in dawdling.'

'So, what's your name?' the yellow allosaur asked.  
'Seriama.'  
'Seri-what?'  
'Seriama.'  
The allosaurus scratched her head.  
'That's a funny name. What does it mean?'  
Seriama shrugged.  
'I'm not sure.'  
'Hm. Well, in that case . . .'  
She cleared her throat.  
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Seriama . . ."

Dashing down the trail with a syringe in her paws, Seriama followed Henry to the underground lab. The plan was to get the machine up and running, change Henry back, and find the blue tiger. Of course, Henry hadn't mentioned anything about changing Seriama as well, but she figured that it had simply slipped his mind.  
'Almost there. Don't drop the cure.'  
Seriama tightened her grip around the syringe.  
'Henry, I'm scared. We're in too deep. You killed one of them.'  
'Yes, and you destroyed that nest.'  
Seriama whimpered.  
'It was an accident . . .'  
'Accident or not, they won't care,' he asserted, 'These people will kill you if they get the chance. Don't give them that chance.'  
Seriama gulped.  
'Henry, I hope you know what you're doing . . .'  
'I do. Trust me.'  
Seriama bit her lip.  
'What if they catch us?'  
'They won't. It's going to be okay.'  
Seriama stopped running.  
'Henry . . . We've done bad things . . .'  
He growled.  
'Don't go soft. We're almost there.'  
Seriama felt tears sliding down her face.  
'We shouldn't have come here. We were happy . . .'  
'I wasn't.'  
Seriama felt her stomach twist.  
'You weren't?'  
'How can I be happy, knowing that these people got the better of me? They made me a monster.'  
'You said you liked being a dinosaur . . .'  
'I tolerated it. Now, I can be free.'  
Seriama felt tears stinging at her eyes as he grabbed the syringe from her paw. He stuck it in his arm and began to glow. Seriama watched him shrink. When he was human, he opened the door to the lab and closed it behind him. Seriama heard it lock.  
'Henry?'  
"It's nothing personal, Seriama. You just don't fit into my plan."  
Seriama's eyes went wide.  
'Henry? Henry, you're not leaving me? . . .'  
"I can't understand you. I know you're mad, but you'll get over it."  
Seriama pressed her snout against the door.  
'I'm not mad, Henry! Come back! Please, don't leave me!'  
"Goodbye, Seriama."  
She wailed.  
'Don't go, Henry! Don't go! I love you! I LOVE YOU!'  
She heard a fizzling sound, then silence. Her breaths were shaky and broken, and she could barely speak.  
'Henry . . . Henry . . .'  
Seriama sobbed and stumbled away from the lab. She didn't care what happened to her. She had lost everything that mattered.

About an hour later, Seriama lay flat on her side in a large building. The yellow allosaurus returned from the kitchen with a large chunk of meat. She dropped it into her hand and held it out for Seriama.  
'You hungry?'  
Seriama shook her head.  
'I don't think I'll ever eat again. Thank you, all the same.'  
The allosaur sat down beside her and started eating the meat. Seriama felt fresh tears flowing down her face.  
'I'm sorry for stepping on your nest.'  
The allosaurus looked at her sadly.  
'It was an accident.'  
'Yeah, but it was a terrible thing to do. You ought to kill me.'  
'Don't be silly. I wouldn't kill you.'  
Seriama blinked.  
'You wouldn't?'  
The dinosaur shook her head.  
'I don't think I'm capable of murder. Besides, you were just following orders.'  
Seriama felt a lump in her throat.  
'What am I gonna do without Henry?'  
The allosaur scoffed.  
'Probably a lot of things. Good things. Now that he's gone, you're free to be a good person.'  
Seriama wiped her eyes.  
'Henry's not a bad person. I've seen him be good. I know that there is goodness in him, but his ambition gets in the way . . .'  
The allosaur stopped chewing her meat.  
'Good? Henry Wu? Never.'  
Seriama's lip quivered.  
'I wish he wouldn't do this. If he was nice to you, like he's nice to me, you'd like him. He deserves to be liked.'  
The allosaurus frowned deeply.  
'HE LEFT YOU.'  
Seriama nodded.  
'I know. I should have expected it, I guess. Everyone's just sitting around, waiting to leave me or shock me with a taser. People don't like me. I ruin things.'  
The allosaurus laughed.  
'Oh, that's NOTHING. If you could see everything that I've ruined, you'd feel a lot better about yourself.'  
Seriama sniffled.  
'You're probably better than me. You have friends.'  
The allosaur chuckled.  
'Yeah, because they put up with me. They really do like me, though. You could have friends, too.'  
Seriama blinked.  
'I could?'  
'Sure,' the allosaur beamed, 'You seem nice. We should hang out sometime, when the fate of the multiverse doesn't hang in the balance . . .'  
Seriama smiled.  
'Really?'  
'Mhm. You're, like, super-cool, with emphasis on the "super". You can change color, fit in small places . . . You're like a lava lamp, if lava lamps could change color and fit in small places.'  
Seriama raised her eyebrow.  
'Thanks? . . .'  
'No problem. I've always wanted a friend with superpowers. You're like one of the X-Men.'  
'The what?'  
The allosaur waved her claws.  
'I mean, I'm not implying that I'd be Wolverine or anything, since I'm a girl, but I guess I'd be like a mix between Wolverine and Rogue. You'd be Storm. Ellie would be Phoenix. Man, that would be cool . . .'  
Seriama didn't really understand what the allosaurus was trying to say, but she was glad to have a friend. Even though she still missed Henry, she felt a little better. These people seemed to be friendly, understanding, and more than willing to accept her, should she choose to be one of them. It seemed like nothing could draw her away from the group.

"Hello."  
Seriama lifted her head. She was surprised to see a strange creature looking down at her. It was tall and yellow and scaly, but it wasn't a dinosaur.  
'Who are you?'  
"I'm a lot of people, but that's not important. I have something to tell you. Henry's back. He's on this world's Sorna."  
Seriama felt her heart flutter.  
'Is he safe?'  
"He's blind, but otherwise, I'd say he's doing rather well. He might be a bit depressed . . ."  
'Oh, no!' Seriama gasped, 'Can I see him?'  
The creature nodded.  
"Yeah. If you're willing to swim to Sorna, that is. Don't you want to stay with your new friends?"  
Seriama sighed.  
'Yes, but Henry needs me.'  
"Needs you? He LEFT you!"  
Seriama nodded slowly.  
'I know. Even so, he has nothing. We were always there for each other back home. Now that we're here-'  
"You have something, and he has nothing. He kind of deserves nothing, though. He's been bad."  
Seriama stood up.  
'He can be good. I know he can. Of all the people he's hurt, he's hurt himself the most. If I give him a chance to be better, he'll take it.'  
The creature's ear twitched.  
"You think so?"  
Seriama smiled.  
'I know so. Henry is good inside. He needs to be loved.'  
The creature turned away.  
"Alright, but don't be disappointed if he fails."  
Seriama watched the strange animal fly away. When she was gone, Seriama ran towards the ocean with a determined stride.  
'He won't.'


	6. Seriama And Henry

Seriama returned to her glade one day to find Henry crying miserably outside of their new cave. His shoulders shook as he sobbed into his paws, soaking his fingers with salty tears. Seriama dropped the prey she had been carrying and ran over to him in alarm.  
'Henry? What's wrong?'  
He lifted his head and gasped.  
'Seriama? Is that you?'  
He hugged her tightly.  
'You came back . . . You came back . . . I thought you'd left . . .'  
Seriama tried to wiggle out of his grasp.  
'Henry, calm down! I'm here.'  
He smiled through his tears.  
'I know, I know. I'm glad. Thank you for coming back.'  
Seriama laughed.  
'Henry, it's no big deal. I brought you breakfast.'  
Henry smiled and gave her a kiss. After a moment, he bit his lip.  
'Sorry. I don't know if we should still-'  
Seriama kissed him again to shut him up. He ran the back of his longest claw down her neck, and she did the same to him. When they separated, Henry rested his head on her shoulder.  
'I love you, Seriama.'  
She smiled.  
'I love you, too.'

One night, Seriama returned to the den with her arms full of junk. She spread out the supplies in front of Henry. He reached forward and felt them one by one.  
'Good . . . Good. This will do nicely,' he said, picking up a large blanket. He tied each end to four shoots of bamboo and stuck them into the surrounding trees. Seriama looked at the makeshift tarp in confusion.  
'What's it for?'  
Henry smiled.  
'For shade. Only, this one won't break. I know my other roof wasn't perfect, but I think this will do fine.'  
Seriama blinked.  
'It's for us?'  
Henry laughed.  
'What else would it be for?'  
Seriama bit her lip.  
'I thought you might be planning something.'  
Henry's smile disappeared.  
'You thought I was planning something? . . . Why did you help me, if you suspected I was up to no good? . . .'  
'I'd do anything for you.'  
Henry's face showed guilt and anguish. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her.  
'Seriama, don't follow me blindly. If you don't trust me, you shouldn't stick around.'  
He ran his hand down her side and felt her ribcage. He frowned.  
'You're getting skinny . . .'  
'Prey is scarce.'  
Henry's lip quivered.  
'You've been feeding both of us . . .'  
Seriama kissed him.  
'It's fine, Henry. I don't mind.'  
Henry stood very still. After a moment, he started to shake.  
'Seriama . . . I'm so bad for you . . .'  
She touched his cheek.  
'I love you, Henry. I'm happy with you.'  
'You'd be happier with the others . . .'  
Seriama squeezed his hand.  
'I can't leave you. You need me.'  
Henry unlaced his hand from hers and rested it on her snout for a very long time. Seriama was worried that he had somehow lost consciousness, but he pulled away and took a shaky breath.  
'I think I need some time to . . . think things through.'  
Seriama nodded worriedly.  
'If you say so . . .'

Henry wandered through the jungle. Unbeknownst to him, Seriama followed. Henry had a funny way of walking now. He was slow, and he often held his hands out in front of his face to keep from bumping into anything. Seriama trailed behind him at a snail's pace, until they came to a patch of bushes. Henry felt the thorns grazing his legs and bent down. Nearby, a dilophosaurus was hopping along, minding his own business.  
'Excuse me?' Henry said quietly. The dilophosaurus jumped.  
'Don't eat me! I have a wife and kids!'  
'I'm not going to eat you,' Henry mumbled calmly, 'I just need to know something.'  
'What?' the dilophosaurus asked cautiously.  
'What color are the berries on this bush?'  
'Yellow. Why?'  
Henry took a deep breath.  
'No reason. Thank you for assisting me.'  
'Alright . . . weirdo . . .'  
As the dilophosaurus hopped away, Henry turned back to the bush. He stood very still, looking down at it for a long time with unseeing eyes, then plucked a sprig of berries from the shrub. As he opened his mouth, Seriama darted forward and swatted the branch out of his hand.  
'HENRY!'  
He stumbled backwards.  
'Seriama! What are you doing here?' he gasped.  
'Those are POISONOUS, Henry!' Seriama shouted, 'You could have died!'  
Henry gulped.  
'I . . . I didn't see what color they were . . . I can't see . . .'  
Seriama stared at him with tears in her eyes.  
'Henry . . .'  
She gave him a hug.  
'Henry, don't leave me.'  
She felt his tears sliding down her back.  
'I have to. You'd be better off without me.'  
Seriama shook her head.  
'No . . . No, that's not true. Come back to the den. We'll work things out.'  
Reluctantly, Henry followed her home. He lay beside her calmly, though tears were still pouring down his face. Seriama's own tears mingled with his as she leaned against him.  
'Seriama, you deserve better.'  
'I'm happy with you.'  
'You really shouldn't be.'

Seriama didn't mean to fall asleep. She knew that if she left Henry unsupervised, the results would be disastrous. Sure enough, he was gone the next morning. With a frightened cry, Seriama stood up and ran out of the cave.  
'HENRY! HENRY! HENRY!'  
To her relief, she saw him walking back towards the den. She was surprised when she noticed that he was dragging a dead stegosaurus across the grass by its neck. He grunted as he pulled it closer to her, and let it drop.  
'I made breakfast.'  
Seriama looked at him with disbelief. He was covered in scratches, and he had a terrible perforation wound on his knee. He noticed her worried silence.  
'They aren't all from the stegosaurus,' he explained, 'I fell into thorns. Well, he pushed me, but the result was the same.'  
'Henry . . .'  
He found where she was and guided her towards the carcass.  
'Eat. I don't want you to starve.'  
'Henry, you could have been killed . . .'  
He shrugged.  
'It doesn't matter. I survived. He sure put up a fight, though . . .'  
Suddenly, Henry fell to his knees. He tried to stand up, but barely made it off of the ground.  
'I'm fine, really. I just need to rest.'  
Seriama licked his bleeding knee.  
'Henry, this is bad. Really bad. I've seen dinosaurs die from wounds like this.'  
Henry smiled falsely.  
'I'll be fine. Really, I'm feeling alright. I'm going to make it. Don't worry about me.'  
Seriama looked into his eyes. Although he could not see, there was a glimmer of anxiety in his expression.  
'Henry . . . You need help.'  
He rumbled.  
'From whom? The dinosaur ER? There are no doctors on this island.'  
'What about Nublar?'  
Henry's eyes went wide.  
'No, Seri. No. I can't go back there. Do you know what I did to those people?'  
'They're kind. They'll help us.'  
Henry shook his head.  
'I promised myself that I wouldn't bother them ever again. If I show up on the island, I'll draw attention to us, and you'll be in danger.'  
Seriama stroked his snout.  
'No, Henry. That's not true. They're good people. Let them help you.'  
He shivered.  
'I can't, Seriama.'  
'Why not?'  
'I'm afraid.'  
The power of these words was particularly poignant for Seriama, who was more than familiar with Henry's demeanor and habits. He would never, NEVER admit that he was scared, so whatever he was worried about must be a huge deal. Seriama ran her hand down his neck in solace.  
'I was afraid too, but once I started talking to them-'  
'It's different for you. You're a good person. I'm irredeemable.'  
'Henry . . .'  
'It's true.'  
'You're wrong.'  
Henry sighed and closed his eyes.  
'I'm not going to Isla Nublar. I can't face those people. Not after what I did.'  
'What if we avoided them altogether? We could just see the nurse and be done with it.'  
Henry shook his head.  
'We can't.'  
'We can and we will. We are going to Isla Nublar, whether you like it or not.'  
Henry moaned weakly.  
'How?'  
She stood up.  
'I'll get them to bring a boat. Meet me by the beach in an hour.'  
'Seriama . . .'  
'If you don't come on your own, I'll have to drag you. Do you want that?'  
'No . . .'  
'Then do as I say.'  
Henry bit his lip, but nodded.

'Well, all things considered, that went surprisingly well . . .' Henry muttered as he curled up in the garage. Seriama sat down beside him and kissed his nose.  
'I told you.'  
'I should listen to you more often.'  
Seriama smiled and pressed her forehead against his side. He sighed happily and held her hand.  
'This place isn't half bad. We finally have a door, so there's no wind. I feel at home.'  
Seriama frowned sadly.  
'Henry . . . Would you be happier as a human?'  
He blinked.  
'Well . . . I don't know. I'm happy with you . . .'  
'You could take the cure.'  
Henry shook his head.  
'I'm not going to do that. I love you too much.'  
Seriama looked down.  
'You'd forget about me. You wouldn't even know the difference . . .'  
Henry lifted her chin with his claw.  
'Seriama, I love you. I can't live without you. I want to spend the rest of my life by your side.'  
Seriama took a deep breath.  
'Do you mean it?'  
'Absolutely.'  
Seriama smiled as he rested his chin on her neck.  
'Henry, I think you might be good after all . . .'  
'Really?'  
'Yes. There's goodness inside of you, and you can find it.'  
Henry kissed her.  
'I'm glad you think that, but I've done terrible things.'  
'Maybe, but now you have a chance to make things right. You'll be happy.'  
Henry smiled.  
'As long as I'm with you, I have all the happiness I need.'  
And just like that, Seriama knew what it was like to be wanted. The two of them fell asleep peacefully that night, and when the morning came, they joined the group at the base of the hill for breakfast. It was awkward, quiet, and more than a little unnerving, but even so, Seriama knew that things would get better.  
As long as she had friends, being a barymimus wouldn't be so difficult.

**The End**


End file.
